Stalking
by codexfawkes
Summary: Mal muses on past encounters with River.


Stalking

By CodexFawkes

Summary: Mal muses on past encounters with River.

AN: This was a dream I had after playing the Firefly board game. Only difference was River Tam was replaced by River Song from Dr. Who. Which is only worth mentioning because I don't actually watch that show. I've seen a grand total of two episodes, so apparently I've absorbed Timey Wimeyness via osmosis from my friends. I own nothing, Joss is Boss.

Mal walked through the quiet ship doing a last walk around before shutting the bridge down for the night cycle. As he made sure the ship was secure Mal became lost in thought about the mystery that was his pilot River Tam. Girl was a genius, no denying that. Handy with a weapon, made one hell of an asset on jobs specially now she was pretty much steady like. Definitely had an oddness to her, no more so than the rest of them maybehaps. After all some people juggled geese, or so he'd been told.

His little Albatross had turned out to be more than a fair pilot, got them out of more than a few scrapes with some fancy flying that made him wonder if she weren't channeling Wash. Maybe she was, girl had a peculiar way of communicating with things he didn't understand his own self but trusted in her enough to believe it. Purging the burdensome secret of Miranda from her mind had done River all sorts of good sanity wise, though he knew she'd willingly go back to the confusion she'd lived in if it would give Zoe her man back. Hell they all would.

Much as he trusted her to fly his ship, read his contacts and cook meals Mal still had an uncomfortableness at the sight of River with a gun. Every time she strapped on a gun belt for a job Mal flashed back to the Maidenhead and her wide eyes as she pointed that gun up at him. That moment was seared into his brainpan. The way her arm shook, the wide eyed panic as the girl fought the weapon. Mal could see it clear as day the weapon wanted nothing more than to shoot him, the girl wanted to drop the gun. The girl saw her Captain not a threat and the war going on in her brain broke his heart a little every time he remembered it.

He never once regretted trusting River, knew it was right to shelter her and dig up the truth of those poor souls. Still he got a chill remembering that moment when he'd wondered if it was to be the moment he'd regret believing in her. Believing that she was indeed a person actually and whole rather than a weapon to be used. Just as he was once again bathed in the certainty that despite everything trusting River had been the right move, Mal froze in the middle of the crew corridor mere steps from his bunk as something hard and round pressed against the middle of his back.

Glancing over his shoulder Mal confirmed what he already knew. River was standing behind him, her face a blank mask. "So Albatross, what is it we're doing now? You fixing to make a change here?" Mal asked calmly, his tone belying the worry snaking through him. The only answer was a clicking sound, the familiar sound of a revolver being cocked. "You sure this is what you want to do darlin? Shoot your Captain in the back?" Mal asked lightly. "If I ever kill you, you'll be awake, you'll be facing me, and you'll be armed. Well two outta three ain't bad. Turn around, hands in the air." Her voice ordered calmly.

Mal felt the pressure leave his spine as he obediently bent his arms at the elbow raising his hands. He slowly turned so he was facing River full on taking in the sight of her standing ramrod straight, her right arm extended, weapon of choice snug in her hand. It was then that Mal realized the "weapon" she was pointing at him was actually a left over spring roll from dinner. "Bang." River said in monotone before a grin split her face. The tension flowed out of Mal in one exhaled breath as the girl began to giggle. "He believed her. Made a face. I love my Captain, such an easy mark." River laughed before pecking Mal on the cheek and twirling away in the next instant. "Somewhere, somewhere Wash and Book are laughing at me. Yup, definitely laughing at me." Mal muttered scrubbing a hand over his face as he continued down the hall. In the galley River bit into the spring roll as she grinned at Wash, he'd enjoyed her joke immensely. He always did appreciate her sense of humor. "So what's next?" the transparent pilot asked. "Starting tomorrow, he gets taller."


End file.
